CO-OPERATIVE SYSTEM.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 407, 16 January 1909, Page 4

CO-OPERATIVE SYSTEM.

*■■■ " ■ —- • : CHEVIOT COMPLAINTSHIGHER PRICE PER YARD. : (ni TEtKaaAPn—SrKCIAL. ConllKSr'ONDElrt.j ; ;1 "chrlstohurch, January'ls: ■. At Cheviot yesterday .'the Hon.'Mr, , Buddfi met his first deputations since his appoint ment to tho- Ministry. ;. ; Among them ;.jvas ■: one representing the men employed on ]tlio . . ■ railway; construction, who said;. that, v since - ■ work had been, resumed on the Cheviot ; tion, tho averago pay for tho m'en-ha'd been ' - . not. ..more than seven shillings i., day. ■;. Before Christmas about one hundred ~, and thirty , men had been employed on the line, and seventy-five had thrown down their tools and left .when they found what wages, were ; being paid. The men .did not ask, anything unreasonable, but they thought they, shouldreceive not less than Bs. 6d. a day, especially ill view-of the . fact that'the farmers *111 *tue ' neighbourhood were paying . 10s. a • day and found! The Government should either , jiuti - ' practical experienced men in charge or give 1 [ tho\men a: say. in the. fixing of' the price '. per yard to be paid. A good gang during the !■ first, month had earned Oa. sd. a day; then -. '• the price per yard had been cut down from j ; Is. 3d. to Is. Id., and they had been told : they''could sign the contract ,or leave .. the..-. works. The men masked that-payments should r be fixed on ; a' basis .of Bs. .Gel. a day.. . Another matter that the deputation drew attention to was tho periods of _j>ayment, 1 Men had worked .for six weoks, without any ;• pay. t-o start with. They had not . been .-.paid I . ■' for'five weeks at the present timo, and were ; told they would. not be • paid until the end 1 of the month. Tho deputation asked that the ' work should,be measured up and payments ' made every four weeks. .They also asked that there.' should be;'a;tent for, each matt,.,.with 1 two tents for a married couple, and . thatithey - should be:paid/for enforced holidays such as 1 those foj the' elections, ... • >.; ~ • ■'■' -• • ./,Tho. Minister said ; :that no :liad workep at) f Railway; construction himselt; . in . the ;>edny •- -days, and-he;had'- a; .sympathy i- with the railway men: . The request for >re- . golar- paymentsi.at..four.;Wfieklyj.intervals was 1 one that'desffrved the serious consideration of 3 tho Minister for,:P.ublici Works,-; It was clearly - hard-that; the men should :bo .stopped; and 3' lose their, wages.for-a fortnight- ... s 4ime,-becauso'the.officers/Were vonf'-npliday. r. Tho views. of; .the:.deputation. on that-.,point b -and.'in regard'.to,.the.,tents vTOuld;bs s -<Mn-. - veyed to tho proper Minister.. Ho . did not i; 'think I that the-average workman, should re. • а. ceivo so low a wage a 3.75, a.day.Of..course, б. men,unaccustomed',to.the use $f; the. shove/ f' might-not be ablo to earn m0re..,..